Fireproof door



y 1956 H. A. DE PHILLIPS FIREPROOF DOOR Filed Oct. 21, 1955 FIG.5

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.M. m m mm Fm e 4 D A m w F n B e w 7 H him W l// B 5 B ll 2 a B 3 mm w 1111 B 2 B B 2 3 4 2 BY Mxfiam ATTORNEY United States Patent FIREPROOF DOOR Henry A. De Phillips, Nutley, N. J.

Application October 21, 1955, Serial No. 541,989

'11 Claims. (Cl. 189-47) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in sliding doors and pertains more particularly to doors commonly known as fire doors as used between compartments and rooms in factories and chemical plants.

When fires of burning fluids such as fats, oils, alcohol, etc., occur in a particular shop of a chemical factory, it is essential that the shop be sealed off from the remaining areas of the structure. To accomplish this and prevent the spreading of the fire, it is customary to provide fire doors between the different shops or rooms. Such a door is generally arranged on tracks so that it may be selectively slid to its closed position and back to its open position. A customary arrangement for closing such a door is to provide a system of weights and counterweights which will normally maintain the door in its open position. As the fire heats up to a predetermined temperature, a fusible link in one of the weighted cables will melt permitting this weight to drop and allowing a counterweight to automatically slide the fire door over to its closed position. However, after the fire door is closed, there is generally small air space between the bottom of the door and the floor. Such an air space is highly disadvantageous in that it permits chemical gases and inflammable fluids from the inside where the fire is to seep out into another shop or compartment. It is to this general problem that the present invention is directed.

Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide means for effectively closing and sealing the space between a fire door and the floor when the door is closed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means for sealing this opening which is automatic in operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a convenient and quick acting device for eifectively closing off the air space between the bottom of a sliding fire door and the floor.

In accordance with the above objects, the present invention contemplates a container filled with sand and mounted on the outside of a slidable fire door. The door is maintained in its open position by means of a counterweight secured to a cable the other end of which is fastened to the fire door. This cable passes around the flap or outlet cap of the sand container. When a fire occurs and reaches a predetermined temperature, a fusible link in this cable will melt permitting the cable to slacken. Not only does this permit another weight to pull the door closed but also the slack cable permits the sand container to open so that sand is poured evenly along the floor as the door closes. The sand container is so located that the sand, as it pours out of the container,- will effectively seal the air space between the bottom of the door and the floor.

The invention will be more fully understood from the following description of a specific embodiment thereof taken with the drawings in which p Fig. 1 is a front view showing the fire door, the sand position.

2,756,849 Patented July 31, 1956 container mounted thereon and the counterweight arrangement for automatically closing the door;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the fire door in closed position;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing modification of the present invention; and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a further modification of the present invention; and

Fig. 5 shows a further modification of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Fig. 1, numeral 10 represents a door opening of a conventional passage or fire wall and 11 indicates the floor. The fire opening is closed by a door 12 which is slidably mounted and supported by cables 13 and wheels 14. A pulley or wheel support member 15 is located above opening 10 and serves to mount idler pulleys 16 and 17. A pin 18 is secured in the upper left hand corner of door 12 and has one end of cable 19 fastened thereto. The cable passes around idler 16 and idler 17 and is secured to a weight 21. Another cable 22 is secured at one end to a pin 23 in the fire door and passes around idler pulleys 24 and 25 and then around idler 26 which is mounted on the support member 15. The other end of cable 22 is secured to a counterweight 27. A fusible link 28 is inserted in the cable 22 just above counterweight 27. When the fire or other source of heat reaches a predetermined temperature, the fusible link 28 will melt permitting cable 22 to slacken. At this time counterweight 21 will counterbalance the door to cause it to slide to the left as seen in Fig. 1 to a position closing the fire opening 10.

A stand container 29 is securely mounted to the outside surface of door 12 in any suitable manner such as welding. The sand container is preferably mounted at an angle as seen in Fig. 1 and has a closure member or hinged flap 31 at the lower end thereof which is maintained closed when cable 22 is taut. However, when cable 22 slackens and the fire door slides over into the closed position, the flap 31 on sand container 29 is rel-eased and will open to permit sand to pour out under the force of gravity. It should be noted that the outlet end of the sand container is located at the lower left hand corner of the fire door so that as the sand initially pours out, it will fall in front of the air space located between base 11 and the bottom of the door as the door moves to its closed Fig. 2 shows the fire door positioned in front of its opening and sand 30 located in a line from one side of the door to the other. Thus the air space is completely closed and the door opening effectively sealed with the fire door in its closed position.

Fig. 3 shows a modification of the invention as above described. In this arrangement the sand container 29A is vertically mounted along or near the left hand edge of the fire door. The closing flap 31A of the sand co-ntainer is controlled by a lever 32 which passes upwardly along the side of the container and is fastened to cable 22A. The door closing arrangement in this modification is the same as that described above. That is when fusible link 28A melts, counterweight 27A falls to permit cable 22A to slacken. At this time weight 21A causes the door to close by pulling cable 15A which passes around idlers 16A and 17A and is secured to a pin 18A in the upper left hand corner of the fire door. As cable 22A slackens lever 32 will pivot to open the sand container cap 31A. The sand will commence to pour out of the container as the door 12A slides to the left to its closed position. The result is that a line of sand will close the air space between the fire door and base 11A.

The alternative arrangement shown in Fig. 4 comprises a sand box 29B vertically mounted similar to the sand container shown in Fig. 3. However, in this modification cable 22B which is secured to pin 23B on the fire door passes 3 around idler pulleys 24B and 25B and then around idler 26B and connects to counterweight 27B. The closure cap 31B of the sand container is maintained in its closed position as long as cable 22B is maintained taut which is the condition of the cable when the fire door is held open. However, when fusible link 2813 melts to permit the cable to slacken thereby allowing cable 15B and weight 28B to slide the door to the left, closure lid 31B opens and sand pours out similarly as in the above described modifications.

Another alternative arrangement is shown in Fig. wherein only one length of cable 226 passes through a hinged flap 31C of the sand container 29C. This arrangement functions in a manner similar to those above described. When fusible link 28C melts, cable 19C will permit Weight 21C to slide the door 12C to the closed position. At the same time cable 2 2C will cause flap 31C to open and sand within the container will pour along the floor to effect a seal between fire door 12C and the floor.

Though the above described specific embodiments describe sand as the sealing agent, it is understood that any suitable granular material may be used; e. g. dried sodium bicarbonate.

It is seen then that the present invention functions auto matically to close and seal the bottom opening of a slidable fire door. The sand will pour out of the container in an even straight line as the door moves into its closed position. The sand will dike the space between the bottom of the door and the floor. Thus with the door closed and the sand sealing this air space, inflammable liquids are e fectively prevented from flowing under the closed fire door and carrying flame to another section of the building thereby protecting that section.

Though the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it is understood that these are not to be considered as limiting the invention as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a system of the character described, a fire door slidably mounted to selectively assume an open position and a closed position, releasable means to maintain said fire door in the open position, means to release said releasable means, means to slide said door into closed position upon release of said releasable means, a container mounted to said door, said container being adapted to be filled with a granular material, opening means at the bottom end of said container, means secured to said first named means to operate said opening means upon release of the releasable means, whereby granular material in the container will be deposited in a line along the path of travel of said fire door as the door closes.

2. In a system of the character described, a fire door slidably mounted to selectively assume an open position and a closed position, means to maintain said fire door in the open position, said means including a counterweight, means to release said counterweight, means to slide said door into closed position upon release of said counterweight, a container mounted to said door, said container being adapted to be filled with a granular material, opening means at the bottom end of said container, means secured to said counterweight to operate said opening means upon release of the counterweight, whereby granular material in the container will be deposited in a line along the path of travel of said fire door as the door is moved to its closed position.

3. A system as defined in claim 2 in which said container is vertically mounted and wherein said means to operate said opening means includes lever means in operative engagement with said opening means.

4. A system as defined in claim 2 in which said container is vertically mounted and said means to maintain the fire door in open position includes a cable passing around the bottom end of said container.

5. In a system of the character described, a fire door horizontally slidably mounted to selectively assume an open position and a closed position, means to maintain said fire door in the open position, said means including a counterweight, means to release said counterweight, means to slide said door into closed position upon release of said counterweight, a container mounted to the outside surface of said door, said container being adapted to be filled with a granular material, opening means at the bottom end of said container, means secured to said counterweight to operate said opening means upon release of the counterweight whereby granular material in the container will be deposited in a line along the path of travel of said fire door.

6. In a system of the character described, a fire door slidably mounted to assume an open position and a closed position, means to maintain said door in open position, said means comprising a cable secured at one end to said slidable door, releasable means fastened to the other end of said cable, a fusible link interposed in said cable and adapted to release said releasable means, means to slide said door into closed position upon release of the releasable means, a sand container mounted on said door, closure means located at the bottom of said container, means whereby said closure means is maintained closed when said fire door is in the open position and whereby the closure means is opened upon release of said releasable means to permit sand from said container to deposit in a straight line in front of said fire door as the door is moved to its closed position.

7. In a system of the character described, a fire door slidably mounted to assume an open position and a closed position, means to maintain said door in open position, said means comprising a cable secured at one end to said slidable door, releasable means fastened to the other end of said cable, a fusible link interposed in said cable and adapted to release said releasable means, means to slide said door into closed position upon release of the releasable means, a sand container mounted on the outer surface of said door, closure means located at the bottom of said container, means whereby said closure means is maintained closed when said fire door is in the open position and whereby the closure means is opened upon release of said releasable means to permit sand from said container to deposit in a straight line in front of said fire door.

8. A system as defined in claim 7, in which said sand container is vertically mounted and wherein said closure means has a lever in operative engagement therewith to operate said closure means upon release of said releasable means.

9. A system as defined in claim 7, in which said sand container is vertically mounted and said cable passes around the bottom end of said container to control said closure means. 1

10. In a system of the character described, a fire door slidably mounted to assume an open position and a closed position, means to maintain said door in open position, said means comprising a cable secured at one end to said slidable door, a counterweight fastened to the other end of said cable, a fusible link interposed in said cable and adapted to release said counterweight, means to slide said door into closed position upon release of the counterweight, a sand container mounted on the outer surface of said door, closure means located at the bottom of said container, means whereby said closure means is maintained closed when said fire door is in the open position and whereby the closure means is opened upon release of said counterweight to permit sand from said container to deposit in a straight line in front of said fire door.

11. In a system of the character described, a fire door slidably mounted to assume an open and closed position, means to normally maintain said door in the open position, said means comprising a cable secured at one end to the slidable door, a counterweight fastened to the other end of said cable, a fusible link interposed in said cable and adapted to release said counterweight upon the presence of a fire whereby said cable will slacken, means to slide said door into closed position upon release of the counterweight, a sand container mounted on the outer surface of said fire door, closure means located on the bottom of said container, means whereby the closure means is maintained closed when the cable is in References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Besse Sept. 10, 1901 Kelly Feb. 28, 1922 

